You Won't Find Heart or Soul in the Stars
by wixley-kryptonese
Summary: (Or can you?) Sirius Black falls through the Veil - right into Fort Rozz, in the Phantom Zone. And it's not very long before he becomes enamoured with a red-haired beauty, either. eventual Sirius Black/Astra
1. Chapter 1

After falling through the Veil, Sirius finds himself lying on darkness, paralysed from Bellatrix's spell, staring up at a brutal-looking man. The man had stared at him for a long time, everything silent before he lifted him up, turning him to face a long curved corridor, which held hundreds of different beings – and Sirius says beings, because barely any he actually sees are humanoid.

The man – guard, he later corrects – places him within a cell, which he does not share. The guard, and two others, watch him closely, until the paralysis spell finally wears off and he is left on the ground, drained and tired. Barely any time later, his cell door is opened, and he is pushed out into a mess of people, who are clamouring to sit down at what looked to be lunch tables, full of different, alien-looking foods that Sirius, upon smelling, canine senses flaring, does not wish to go anywhere near. Luckily, a guard drags him from the rabble, over to a set of tables where only humanoids sit.

The first one to catch his eye is red-haired, and by _Merlin_ , is she beautiful.

Unfortunately, that's when a blonde man in the same sort of clothing steps into his vision, glaring. There is no ring, but that's a muggle custom, only recently introduced to the Wizarding World. No, Sirius knows this man is married to this beautiful dame due to two things: the first, is that the man doesn't just glare at him for looking at the gorgeous red-head, and second – he is the only one who sits at her table, at her side, with dozens of people in similar clothing on the tables surrounding them. But Sirius, being the mad dog he was, only smirked.

Then he sat down in front of her, digging into a plate of food that appears through the table, pushed up from some hidden compartment. He winks at the red-head, before digging in, not saying a word as the blonde man growls. His next words are in a different language, so Sirius can't translate. It's annoying, angering even, because in his youth, he'd learnt his languages – he'd learnt Latin, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Flemish, Swiss, Arabic, Farsi, Bengali, Hindi, Mandarin and Japanese, as well as over fifteen variations of sign language including British and American. Sirius had worked hard to be fluent in each, despite it being forced upon him, because he enjoyed it. And with Occlumency at his back he wouldn't be forgetting them any time soon – and to know that all that work, when face to face with a foreigner, he couldn't jibe, or tease, or insult them back in their own language, it just- it made him want to punch something.

But Sirius was mature. He was an adult. He wouldn't punch something – but he refused to deprive someone of his sense of humour, either. So he flipped the man the bird. From his face, it translated in any language.

…which was how he got into what could probably be considered a prison fight, but whatever. The redhead had hidden a smirk when Sirius knocked her husband's lights out.

* * *

Five months into living in 'Fort Rozz', Sirius could say he was fluent in eight more languages than he was before, at least in terms of oral fluency. There wasn't any way for him to become literate due to lack of paper – and anyway, he learnt how to speak the alien languages by listening and comparing. Unfortunately, he hadn't yet learnt the language of the 'Kryptonians', as his newest cellmate was called. Fort Rozz switched things up a lot, mainly due to infighting and boredom. In the Phantom Zone, which was where Fort Rozz apparently sat in, time stood still. Which explained how he got there, in Sirius' mind.

Too bad that the others didn't make it.

About a week after arriving, he'd been watching out of the window, becoming horrified as someone appeared a few yards away and promptly died. And he was even more horrified to realise he recognised them – Walden Macnair. Immediately, he'd gone to the door of his cell, waiting – impatiently – for the next mealtime. When the cell door finally opened, he became Padfoot, to the surprise and fear of some, running through the halls, trying to identify any witches or wizards.

He didn't finish his round of the ship though, before a guard caught him and he changed back to human form, not wanting to be stuck in Padfoot, no matter how much of a relief it was – staying too long as Padfoot could permanently stunt him. He'd learnt that the first time, when he met with Remus after escaping and discovered he hadn't matured in the slightest, and reacted to things in a way that wasn't human. Only with Remus' help had he reversed that.

Sirius though, continued to search, every mealtime, until he dropped two days later, too weak to do anything other than change back into a human. The guard took him to Fort Rozz's medbay, and he stayed there for a few days before being chucked back in his cell, up to his eyeballs in alien drugs, meant to enhance his physiology. He had more than one seizure, but the guards didn't care – his cellmate was the one to keep him alive, using natural electrical powers to restart his heart whenever it stopped.

The changes afterwards were hard to deal with. He couldn't walk for a while, his entire body seemingly half as heavy, but ten times as strong – and that was saying something. Wizards were strong enough on their own. Suddenly it became very easy for him to cast magic, too, but changing from Sirius Black to Padfoot became difficult as fuck. He managed it though, refusing to lose Padfoot as easily as he'd lost James, and Remus, and Harry-

Harry was an ache that never went away, only tempered by the knowledge that he had Remus, and Hermione and Ron. Knowing his godson had support was something that helped him get through every day.

And surprisingly enough, provided him with an in, in regards to the red-headed beauty.

It was a normal dinner in Fort Rozz. Like the first day, he found their tables again and sat in front of her. The hubby looked about fit to burst, but the redhead calmed him. Sirius, however, didn't really care. He'd only sat with them because they looked vaguely human, and he needed that. Poking at his food, he boredly rearranged his vegetables – or what he thought passed as vegetables – into Harry's name, staring at it for a while.

The redhead then poked his arm, holding what looked to be some kind of pencil. Then she drew on the table, upside down, writing Harry's name, then a makeshift family tree – putting Sirius as his father, denoting him using his assigned prison-number.

Immediately Sirius shook his head, taking the pencil and crossing it out, writing James' name, then pausing, before writing out his and Remus' name's beside his, dotting them together before putting a wobbly line to Harry around James' line, and then Lily's as he added her.

He pointed to himself. "Sirius." He pointed to Remus and James. "Brothers." He pointed at Remus. "Remus. Brother." He pointed to James. "James. Brother." He pointed to Harry and James. "Father. Son. James. Harry." He tapped Lily then Harry. "Mother. Son. Lily. Harry." He tapped himself and Remus, then Harry. "Uncles. Uncle, uncle, nephew." He hesitated, glancing at the redhead, who seemed a little understanding now. Then he crossed out James and Lily. "Dead. Father. Mother. Harry alone." He tapped himself, then Harry. "Godfather. Harry not alone."

The redhead frowned, before pointing at his name, motioning a cross, then pointing to Remus. "Godfather?"

Sirius shook his head, smiling slightly before putting drawing large, simple houses over James and Lily's names, then a smaller one over his, and then one beside Remus, before crossing it out. "Remus. Not godfather. Sirius, godfather. Remus and Sirius, uncles."

The redhead hummed, before nodding and wiping it all off, writing out a new family tree – and instead of using English, used the symbols that were embroidered on their jumpsuits. Sirius watched her, taking it in. She wrote two unfamiliar symbols first, identical, pointing to herself, then used the same lines they'd used to connect James and Lily to connect one of the symbols to another with an S in it, and the other to the one on her chest, and on the blonde man's – which was when he got involved in the conversation, pointing to himself and then the symbol, then the redhead and the one connected to it. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I know." He pointed to Astra. "Wife," he pointed to the man, "husband." He pointed to the symbols, repeating his words, only to pause upon seeing that the redhead had added a kid into the family tree, below the S and the one identical to her own. He motioned to it. "Girl or boy?" She frowned at him. Sirius tried to explain. He motioned to himself, pointing down. "Man." He raised his hand up, "Man," then down, "Boy." He pointed to her. "Woman." He lowered his hand. "Girl. Boy or girl?" He pointed to the symbol, causing the redhead to glance down, smiling slightly.

"Girl," she repeated softly, and Sirius stopped himself from swooning. _Merlin dammit, her voice is beautiful_. He was falling hard, dammit, for an alien! For a _married_ alien, at that! "Nephew?" She asked in a questioning voice. Sirius shook his head though.

"Niece. Girl, niece. Boy, nephew." He pointed to himself. "Man, uncle." He pointed to her, "Woman, aunt." He tapped her niece's symbol. "Name?"

Her brow furrowed, "Name?"

Sirius struggled to find a way to explain, before he pointed to himself. "Sirius. My name is Sirius. My nephew's name is Harry. My brother's name is James. My brother's name is Remus."

The woman seemed to catch on. "Astra. My name is Astra. My niece's name is Kara. My…" she paused, looking to the blonde. She pointed to him.

"Husband," Sirius offered. Astra nodded. _What a lovely name…_ he thought.

"My husband's name is Non."

"Non," Sirius tested the name out, looking at the blonde. "Hello Non." He waved. The blonde eyed him mistrustfully. Sirius chuckled, remembering how he used to teach Reg languages when he got stuck. He waved again. "Hello, how are you?" He motioned to Non, then pointed to himself. "I am good." He pointed to Non. "How are you?" When Non didn't reply, he looked to Astra. "How are you?"

"I am…good," Astra replied slowly, before Sirius smirked slightly.

"No, you are beautiful, is what you are, and thank god you can't understand me, because I think your husband would kill me." He laughed a little, before hearing a shout.

"Black! Sirius Black! I knew someone else was here! I knew I recognised that hair!"

He turned in his seat, eyes widening as he saw someone bounding towards him, grinning. Getting up, he came out into the clear space, the person hugging him tightly before leaning back, grinning. Then Sirius got a good look at them and paled.

"You're Hesper Gamp."

His great grandmother rolled her eyes, "Of _course_ I'm Hesper Gamp – or rather, Hesper Black, but who cares here? They kicked us out! I knew you'd find me again!" She went to kiss him, but he swiftly got out of her reach, swivelling and turning into Padfoot, knowing that Sirius Black II had not had a grim as an animagus. Immediately Hesper stiffened.

"You're not my Sirius," she whispered. Sirius turned back.

"No, I'm not, but my name is Sirius Black," he stood straight, hands going behind his back as he forced himself to remember. Forced himself to become what he'd long since shed. "Sirius Orion Black the third, last living Black by name, if not by blood. I am your great grandson, by Arcturus and Melanie MacMillan, by Orion and Walburga." He winced, remembering that she would have been alive for Walburga's birth, if not Orion's.

Hesper had been thrown through the Veil, after all.

"Walburga? Merlin, our family got a bit twisted, didn't it, boy?" She grimaced. "So, how did you get here? Were you like me? Potions Mistress extraordinaire? Murderer? Terrorist?" She prodded. Sirius relaxed- "Stand straight, boy!" She snapped, and he stiffened again, before looking forward as she circled him like a lion stalking it's prey. "So, tell me, how does the last male heir of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, if only by name," she mocked, "get thrown through the Veil of Death?"

"There was a battle, Madam Black," he replied, hating himself as he replied to her, "The Dark Lord Voldemort was trying to obtain a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries-" she hissed, and he flinched, but continued, "-and he mislead my godson, the one prophesied to defeat him, into picking it up. He sent his followers to retrieve it from Harry, and I and the Order of the Phoenix-"

"The Order of the Phoenix?! You joined _Dumbledore?!_ " Hesper screeched, slapping him, "What kind of a Black are you, joining the _Light Side?!_ "

"A good person!" He hissed, before glaring proudly. "I am a Gryffindor and proud!" Hesper let out another shriek, going to slap him again, but he grabbed her hand. "You asked for an answer, you hag, and I'll give you one. Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black, my own cousin, a _Black_ , hit me with a paralysis curse during our battle, and I fell through the arch." He was roiling with anger now, and could feel the magic inside him wanting to be used, wanting to kill her. "Now you will leave me alone, Hesper, or Merlin dammit I will kill you with my own bare hands."

"You wouldn't," she glared spitefully.

"I would, like a bloody _muggle_." He spat in her face, before throwing her down the corridor from where she came, just as the bell rang to get back in their cells. "Hope that we never meet again." He didn't look at the redhead as he left, hoping he hadn't just screwed everything up for just running into a member of his family. He hoped he never met another witch or wizard, at this rate.

He didn't think his blood pressure could handle it if he had to face another raving mad Blood Purist.


	2. Chapter 2

The next time he sees Astra, he's fluent in Kryptonian.

It had taken a long time – twelve years, twelve years listening in on conversations from afar, staying as far away from her and Non as he could. He's always in dog form when he's around them, always remembers to leave when he smells Astra approaching. Non, he knows, watches him when he does, and there's a kind of appreciation at the act that convinces Non to take his side when he accidentally starts prison-wide brawls. Sirius doesn't mean to, it just happens – very often.

But he hasn't gotten over his attraction of her. He doesn't think he will, for some reason. Maybe it's the way his memory is even better now he's something he's not, the stupid alien chemicals that had been given to him so long ago changing something about him that made him fundamentally human. He's stronger, faster, more durable – but he can't fly, or shoot lasers from his eyes like he's seen Non and other Kryptonians do, or freeze anyone with just his breath. He can do it with magic, obviously, except the laser eye part, but he doesn't like showing the other prisoners what he can do, so he can't experiment with the big things – like summoning weather, or do prison-wide pranks.

In any case though, the next time he sees Astra, he speaks to her in Kryptonian.

" _Why does such a beautiful goddess deign to visit a lowly mortal such as me? And how?_ " He asks, going full-out Romeo before tacking on the bit at the end, really wondering why she's out of her cell. It isn't breakfast time yet – prisoners are still asleep around them.

Astra frowns though, looking at him through the electrically-powered force-field. "Sirius? I have not seen you in a long time – I thought you dead." Sirius isn't fazed by her words – people die all the time in Fort Rozz. It came with the hazards of being in a prison. He's more concerned over the fact she now speaks English, when the only person who speaks it other than him is a barmy old witch with a penchant for poisoning muggle babies.

"Well I'm not. Who did you learn English from?"

She glanced around warily as she spoke to him, nervous, "Another of your kind appeared, by the name of Hopkins." The name didn't ring a bell. "He did not last terribly long though – two months. He had lost his legs during his voyage, appearing halfway through my cell wall. The usual treatments did not affect him as well as they did you, doing the opposite of improving his condition. But he taught me English, rather as a necessity than anything else – he was terrified of the guards, and what they looked like." Astra looked around.

"Doesn't explain how you're out," he spoke with a frown.

"They are disposing of my cell, due to their inability to repair what Hopkins' legs did to the hull. I was let out briefly, and as there is no way out, they did not protest to letting me roam."

"Huh…wait, what about Non? Doesn't he share your cell?"

Astra raised an eyebrow. "And why would he? We are not of the same gender, and we are a married couple at that. The guards do not wish to risk anything, despite my infertility." Her eyebrow lowered at that, eyes going to her hands. Sirius frowned.

"So…you have your own cell? And now it's gone? Where are you going to stay, then?"

Astra shrugged noncommittedly, before pausing, eyes going down the corridor. With his hearing, Sirius could hear footsteps, and assumed it was the guards. They appeared momentarily.

" _Ma'am, apologies, but there are no vacant cells suitable for your living conditions_ ," one grunted, before glancing inside at Sirius. " _We will have to put you with another prisoner of similar physiology to your own, for safety reasons, until then. Unfortunately there are no other females on board available to share a cell with, so you will be placed with five humanoid males on rotation. A guard will be stationed outside if you wish, to prevent any unwarranted interaction. Your first cellmate will be EY-three-nine-zero._ "

The other guard then proceeded to deactivate Sirius' cell door, causing them both to look at each other in surprise. Sirius stood up slowly, but still as a guard held up an electric baton.

"Hey, Astra, want to come inside to my humble abode?" He joked, before she entered, the guards reactivating the door.

" _Do you feel the need to have a personal guard, Madam In-Ze?_ "

Astra glanced over, " _No, thank you_." The guards left, leaving the two in silence. "What have you been doing for the past few years then?" She asked lightly. Sirius gave a small smile, sitting down on his bed.

"Learning Kryptonian, for one, and finding out how long it takes to piss off each and every prisoner on board. The Hellgrammite gets angry so easily, it isn't funny anymore. I think I broke him."

Astra let out a quiet laugh, before going over to the bed, sitting beside him, bringing up her legs and crossing them. "I have been attempting to rally followers to my cause – have you heard of the reason I was imprisoned?"

And all at once, Sirius remembers Astra is a criminal.

* * *

After a few months, they moved her to join another Kryptonian. In that time, Sirius had learnt many things – most were about Krypton. He learnt how Kryptonian's had used their planet as a fuel source, with no regard for the damage they did. Astra had been part of a movement to raise awareness, and Non had joined her cause upon their marriage, convincing her to use her military training to her advantage, in the name of Krypton. Sirius disagreed with his methods, and Astra did too, but it had done as predicted – though the outcome was still terrible. They had been imprisoned, and Krypton had exploded.

He also learnt about Astra herself though. He learnt about her life with Alura as one of the only sets of twins on Krypton, how they thrived and lived in everyone's confusion, until that confusion turned to anger and their parents forced Astra – the mischievous one, the one that set them apart, because Alura was special, and first, and brilliant at everything she did – to gain a white streak in her hair. Sirius, for all his stares and observations, hadn't even realised it was there until she pointed it out. Astra had laughed at him then, before telling him about Kara – Kara who had been like him once, oblivious to the white in her hair, but still able to tell the difference between her mother and her favourite aunt. But talking about Kara made her sad, so Sirius made sure Astra didn't just think of her home and family, seeing how much pain it caused her.

He told her about the Wizarding World – how it worked and how people lived, how he lived and how his family treated him. He told her about Hogwarts and James and Peter and Remus, and explains how they were his brothers in everything but blood. He tells her of James' fruitless pursuit of Lily, and the ways they were cruel to Snape, then tells her of how James' parent's died, and how it forced them – him and James – to grow up. Lily finally went out with James. They left Snape alone, except for the one time that Sirius drunkenly endangered his life when he tried to pry into Remus' life, tried to discover why he would hide away every full moon. He told her of how amazing it had been to be named Harry's godfather, to hold the small life in his hands, and at that point she told him a secret – that when Kara had been barely four months young, she had said her name, said 'Astra', and Astra had kept it to herself, because the next day she said 'El' and her parents were so proud of her supposed first word.

Sirius showed her magic sometimes – not too often, but not irregularly either. He always made sure to give her a rose at the end of every week, along with a laughing apology for being such bad company – she always assured him he was not bad company, though his Kryptonian could do with some work. Sirius in turn said her English sometimes took a turn for the worse, too, but he'd never forget a second they spent together.

He was being literal about that, of course, and Astra had forgotten until then that he had an unimpeded memory.

Sirius doesn't see her for another four or five months, and even then it's just a glance at a mealtime before the bells ring and they are being busied back to their cells. The next time is longer – a lot longer.

* * *

Another body has appeared in Fort Rozz, but it was in no way maimed – no, a witch is cursing and killing faster than you could believe, and an entire sector of the prison is cut off, the closest prisoners evacuated into their neighbours. An entire _fifth_ of Fort Rozz starts cohabiting, and Astra is suddenly sharing not only with Sirius, but also with Non, and three other Kryptonians who had been part of their initiative. The large amount in one room is purely because of the different types of aliens imprisoned. Over a third of Fort Rozz have to be in isolation from the rest of the prisoners, simply because of how dangerous they are – Sirius is lucky he's vaguely human and needs oxygen more than most, because that meant, unlike many others on the prison ship, he gets priority. He knows there are some prisons filled to the point where thirty aliens are cohabiting. In the years that follow, with less and less guards coming back every time someone tries, the prison-deaths rise to a point where there are no less than three dying a day.

By the time Sirius finally becomes sick of it, the privacy within his cell is down to minus numbers, and Non and Astra have _cavorted_ in front of him no less than six times. He is happy it is not seven, because for his magic, that would be disastrous – seven in magical, and in such close quarters, with his anger and the way Astra always snuck glances at him while Non kissed her neck…

Well, six is enough for him to walk through the electric doors and passed the Kryptonite chips on the floor – not that they harm him anyway – without fear. He faces the witch who'd taken over Sectors ten thousand to three thousand five hundred, and he uses nearly his entire arsenal. Nearly. Even when at his angriest, his most hateful, he won't say those words and watch her life be ended with green reflected in her eyes. He settles for a reverse cutting curse to the back of her neck, in the end.

* * *

The last time he sees Astra on Fort Rozz, is when they're flying through space, caught in the gravity of a tiny white pod covered in Kryptonian prayers and songs and names. Sirius watches as Astra doesn't trace it with her eyes, reading the name that is _KARA ZOR-EL OF THE HOUSE OF EL, LAST FREE LADY OF KRYPTON_ and realise it's _her_ , that its _Kara_ , only looks for Non, one of her only tethers left in the universe, who is in the shadows of a window – a window that he doesn't let Astra see through as she holds onto him tightly, as they hurl through galaxies and solar systems until they reach it.

And that is when Earth's atmosphere starts to burn Fort Rozz to particles.

Fort Rozz was never meant to land, or go through any sort of atmosphere. It was supposed to stay in the Phantom Zone forever – to keep criminals from ever touching the soil of any world. Sirius had spent so many years there, he had seen himself as one – a prisoner of Fort Rozz. But that wasn't what he was. Because Sirius Black was a Gryffindor, and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, and a man placed into isolation during peacetime, to be thrown right back into the blender that was Wizarding War once he escaped.

Sirius Black knows what needs to be done, and so he starts with the worst of the worst, and dares to keep his eyes open as the killing curse hits them, stopping their hearts, their organs, their energy, their everything, until it is too hot and too close, and Sirius takes a chance and apparates hundreds of miles to the left of where Fort Rozz was. Somehow, he ends up inside a plane cargo hold, in a dog cage with a sedated collie. He turns into Padfoot without a second thought, and hopes that somehow, Astra survived the crash.

* * *

Of course, when the plane lands and he is taken out with the collie, the owners shriek and ask how the hell some mutt got in with their adorable little Burger King, and after no tracking chip is found, he is sent to the pound. Sirius doesn't like it. At all. But he is feeling weird now he's on Earth – and every time he goes outside in the sun, he feels powerful. Too powerful.

He doesn't get adopted by someone for a long time, but Sirius doesn't mind. As long as they don't try to euthanise or neuter him, he'd be good to whoever he got, if he got anyone.

It takes four years.

And you would _never_ guess who adopts him.


	3. Chapter 3

Kara was the most wonderful person Sirius had ever had the chance to know, and that was without her superpowers. She paints, and sculpts, and sings, and dances, and due to her Kryptonian upbringing, had gone through high school easily – she was half-way through University when she hit eighteen and her foster-parents let her get her own pet. It was supposed to teach her responsibility, but Sirius, or rather, _Lord Sirius Doggarth of the Universe_ , because Kara was an amazing astronomer and recognised his attempts to make a star map on the ground, looked after himself.

The same thing was not to be said for Baby Chara, who was the most annoying puppy in the world. Sirius tried to keep her in order, honestly, he did, but sometimes it was impossible – so instead, he kept her as safe as he could. If she got out of the backyard, he'd follow her down the street, making sure she didn't get run over or worse – and he made sure they made it back as well, and went through the stream first if Chara was covered in mud or debris. Kara always knew, obviously, due to her Kryptonian sense of smell only increased by the sun, but Baby Chara didn't realise so. Sirius was unhappy when she died though, the one time he decided to nap rather than make sure she didn't cross the road without looking. Kara was devastated, and almost sent him back to the pound.

But anyway, Kara was brilliant, except when she was grieving, then she was being stupid. And when she – falsely – believed she'd disappointed someone. Honestly, all he wanted to do sometimes was give her a hug, just for being the amazing person she'd grown up to be on Earth. He couldn't imagine her on Krypton, the way Astra painted it. She would have been like her aunt – pushed down and down, until she either gave in or rose above it.

Obviously though, Sirius couldn't hug her, because he was a dog, and dog's weren't able to give hugs. He could, however, lie on her when she felt alone after moving out, and lick her face when she was mopey, and pose for her when she needed a model for her painting. He could steal her pizza and hot pockets, and spill her popcorn and bury his head in her fridge whenever she needed to laugh. He would do anything for this girl.

When they moved to National City, however, things got a bit awkward. Before, Kara had lived like a normal university student – now she had a job, working as an assistant to a woman that Sirius believed Kara was both in love with and completely terrified of sometimes. Which pressed him to investigate.

Being in human form was a lot harder than he remembered, but he got used to it within seconds, sunlight absorbing into his skin and invigorating him enough that the magic of transfiguring his by now quite ratty ensemble suit into a plain-collared, light blue oxford shirt, a set of dark grey slacks, soft underwear and a pair of shiny shoes. Then he looked in the mirror and shivered, using is wand to shave and cut and tame his hair. Eventually he went back to what he'd supported back in the day – clean shaven, with his hair cut around his head. Enough that it was long, but not enough that it was terribly short either – he could pull the vast majority of it back into a pony-tail, though he didn't do that, of course. Then, he apparated to the alley across the road, walking out cheerfully before conjuring some muggle money like he'd seen in Kara's purse, paying a taxi-cab driver to take him to CatCo Media.

When he got there, it was after staring through the window for a long time. He'd never been this close to muggle buildings before, and the skyscrapers…

"Hey, that'll be ten dollars eight cents," the driver interrupted his staring. Sirius glanced up, before nodding, paying him as his stomach rumbled.

"Any good places around here?"

The driver grunted, "There's a Noonans around the corner." Sirius nodded.

"Thank-you." Getting out, he decided to get food first, heading towards where the driver pointed, finding it quickly. Inside, it was a little busy but not too much. However, he froze upon seeing Kara, who was now frowning, looking in his direction. Sirius looked away, forcing himself to calm down, but shifted his senses to key in on Kara. _Stop worrying about her old man, she's fine_ , Sirius shook his head, wondering what Astra would say to him. Thank-you, maybe? Or would she hurt him for not finding her, seeing if she was alive?

Going up to the bar, he ordered a beer and whatever meat sandwich they had, getting it quickly. Unfortunately, the beer was terrible, and weak at that, but Sirius wasn't in it for the taste – he'd been to New York once, and he and Remus had decided that British beer would always be their go-to, even in the muggle world. While he ate, he listened in on Kara's conversation.

She was with her friends – James and Winn, who worked in CatCo with her. They were discussing the X-Files, which Sirius found amusing. Kara, the alien, loving a show like the X-Files? It seemed almost inconceivable. He choked though, when Kara said her dog ate all her hot-pockets, so they couldn't come over for dinner and an X-Files marathon. He couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I do not, Miss I-love-hot-pockets-more-than-popcorn," before freezing, realising what he'd just said.

"Fuck," he took out a conjured wallet from his pocket, putting down what he owed before stuffing his hands in his pocket, heading for the exit when he heard her voice, and then her hand on his arm.

"Sirius?"

Sirius couldn't help it, looking at her with apology, "Yes Kara? Is there something you wanted?" Kara looked at him, confused, but eyes alight with a fire that he'd never seen before.

"I don't understand," she said finally.

He gave a small smirk, "Well neither do I – what's so special about Cat Grant, huh? Is it her _damn skirts?_ Or her _damn perfect pink lips?_ Or is it something you haven't come up with yet – a boss and her assistant in a hot and steam relationship, perhaps?" Kara immediately flushed, letting go of him as if he were a hot iron poker. Letting out a bark-like laugh, Sirius grinned, hugging her tightly, like he'd been wanting to do for six years now. When he was done, he kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you at the apartment later tonight. I'm going to do some exploring, I think – can't exactly get a job without an identity, so might as well find some fun things to do."

Kara bit her lip, "Don't get into trouble."

"Promise I won't, princess," he swore, before waving to her friends, and making his way to the door, giving her one last look through the glass before slipping on a notice-me-not, smiling sadly as her eyes went cross-eyed for a second, before she started looking around at super-speed, not finding him. Cracking his neck, Sirius looked around, noting CatCo. _There first_.

Going forwards, he made his way to the building, going inside without much fuss, joining an employee with a bunch of papers, who looked about to drop them. They made their way up – up and up – until reaching what seemed like the top floor. Sirius exited slowly, looking around. Immediately, he located Kara's desk, smelling her scent as easily as he could see colour. Without thinking, he drifted over, fingers tracing over the rim of her favourite mug. _I'd wondered where that had gone…_

"Who are you?" Came a sharp voice. Sirius looked up and over to where a short blonde woman stood, wearing a tight skirt and a silken blouse, face hard as stone as she looked at him. "Well? Do I have to call security?"

"There's no need for that, I assure you, I just came in to have a word about Kara."

"Keira? Ugh, fine, what's bothering my assistant now? I do hope she's not injured – that would be very detrimental to my day." She turned, going into what was obviously her office. Sirius followed amusedly, noting the CAT GRANT on the glass doors into the room. "So, what are you here to tell me?"

"Oh, nothing much, other than the fact that your assistant rather likes you, a bit more than she should for one of her position…and age, as it seems," he muttered the last part, eyes flickering over her figure. Maybe a few decades ago he might have hit that, but nowadays Sirius was content in only dreaming in the dark of the one he'd have as his own. He raised his voice again, "Kara believes in seeing the best in people, as I'm sure you've noticed."

The so-called Queen of All Media rolled her eyes, "Indeed. It's repulsive how she puts up with the hobbit, and that Daily Planet plant. How they get on, I don't understand, especially with the way the short one looks at her." She grimaced, as did Sirius. He'd noticed that from Winn – who he presumed was the one Madam Grant talked of.

"Kara was raised in a heteronormative environment, but she herself isn't heterosexual. I'm not quite sure she's figured that out yet."

"And you're telling me this, why?" Madam Grant looked at him piercingly. Sirius shrugged, before sniffing. _Fuck, Kara's on her way. Not much time…_

"As I said, she likes you. I don't want her getting confused over anything. You seem good at setting her straight, though in this case, if it ever comes to it, I'd owe you a favour if you made her realise she bends another way." And Kara was now officially too close for him to say anything without damning himself tonight. "I have to depart, Madam Grant, if you'll excuse me." He gave a half bow without thinking, hand on his lower back, before quickly trying to get to the elevators before Kara got out.

Sirius thought himself very lucky there were two elevators.

Because _holy merlin I just asked Kara's boss and Kara's first proper first love slash girl crush for a favour, to tell Kara that she's a lesbian._

* * *

That evening, Sirius cleaned Kara's apartment. Not because he was nervous, no, he could not be nervous, definitely not nervous – but there was a tinge of fear, and bewilderment, and excitement. Kara was going to learn about everything – the Wizarding World, the Phantom Zone, Astra and Non… He didn't know how she would react though. She'd talked to him about it before as Padfoot, but those had been half whispers, floating pieces of thought that latched onto her vocal cords.

Anxious, Sirius turned the TV. And instantly stared, watching Kara – without her glasses – rescue a plane.

"Holy Circe, Kara, what have you done?"

He had a feeling they wouldn't be talking about her aunt tonight.

* * *

Over the next few months, Sirius stayed in dog form, staying low, keeping away. When Kara went out as Supergirl, he felt real fear that she might not come back. He'd faced these aliens – probably punched at least one of them in the face before. Some of them could do her real harm, but she could handle it. So he ignored what she smelled like, after she came home, just taking in that what was _Kara_ and only Kara, blocking out all other distractions. But every time she came home, he'd crawl into her lap, because that was how Harry felt safe – how Harry had dealt with the weight of the world on his shoulders, in the short time they'd had together. And Kara never failed to act just like his forever-lost godson, right down to where they stroked. Sometimes, when he was in less guilty moods, he pretended it was him.

But then everything changed: because Alex and her boss came over.

* * *

Sirius had smelt the alien before he'd heard him, and his hackles had risen, a growl escaping his mouth in the direction of the door while Kara stroked his glossy fur.

"Shh, it's just Hank and Alex," she reassured tiredly, "Hank's a Martian – don't draw attention to yourself. I trust him, but not enough to reveal you unnecessarily." Sirius quietened down, and strengthened his mental barriers as he felt the automatic probe, lining a defence that most likely alerted him rather than scared him away. Knowing that it could possibly turn violent, he shifted position on Kara, eyes fixed on the door defensively.

Footsteps made their way to the door. Alex took her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door, pushing it open to reveal herself and the Martian – who was a man, African American, but who watched him with a beady eye.

"Kara, how you doing?"

"Just tired. Did you really have to bring that Kryptonite sword?"

Alex shrugged, before Sirius looked up at Kara in confusion. _Kryptonite sword? But why would Alex need that unless_ … Sirius laid back down, but his muscles were stiffer than before. He shut his eyes, breathing in deep through his nose, smelling all the little things. The plastic of Kara's acrylics, the stench of the oil-based mixes, earth, wood, polyester, cotton, leather, dust, gunpowder.

And there it was, right after gunpowder.

 _Astra_.

His heart fluttered for a single moment, before he focused on what they were saying.

"Non's body has been burned and his ashes have been buried. There's already a new patch of flowers growing over him."

"Astra would like that," Kara nodded, and Sirius felt a blow to his chest, despite everything. Non was dead? "Do you know if she went to see him?"

"No. But we have seen her back where Fort Rozz crashed, for some reason," the Martian spoke up, voice normal and loud compared to Kara and Alex's quiet. "Maybe your friend could tell us why." He looked piercingly at Sirius, who growled in his direction before slinking off of Kara, sitting beside her as he turned back into human. Immediately Alex's gun was at his head.

"What the hell? Kara, get away from him."

"Sirius is safe, Alex, trust me."

Sirius looked up at her, taking in Alex in a new light. "You know, I knew you were an agent, but I always thought bio-engineering would be your first calling – a priority over guns and field missions. You still smell of chemicals and metal oil, after all this time." He said whimsically, before looking to Kara. "Why have you never mentioned Astra before?"

Kara frowned, "Should I have? What do you know of her?"

Sirius flicked his hand, producing a piece of paper out of thin air. On it, was what Astra had drawn way back in Fort Rozz – Kara's family tree. Kara stared at it for a second, before taking it, studying it avidly.

"How did you get this?"

"Astra showed me one day during mealtime on Fort Rozz." Alex's gun pressed further into his head, but Sirius stayed still, watching Kara. "I wasn't a prisoner, not really – I appeared, like others did. I come from a universe with a gate to the Phantom Zone – we called it the Veil of Death. I was incapacitated during battle and fell through – luckily landing inside Fort Rozz. Your aunt was a good friend to me, a very good friend."

Kara looked him in the eye, staring at him. "Promise me you're telling the truth, and that you won't hurt me." At that, Sirius felt a surge of anger, snarling.

"I would _never_ hurt you, Kara, _ever_. I swore to take care of you when you picked me up at that pound – you don't know how long Astra lived thinking you were dead and gone, and now she obviously _knows_ …" he drew in a breath, smiling despite it all. "I wish I could see her again." He looked up at Alex, who still had her gun. "Either shoot me or put it away."

"Put it away, Agent Danvers," the Martian ordered, Alex obeying. Sirius nodded his thanks before standing and flying up into the air, looking at Kara.

"Let's go and find your aunt."

* * *

Astra liked the oceans of Earth, when they were like this – pure, untainted. On Krypton, there were no water deposits like the one in front of her. Everything had been bone dry and orange as the sun – Earth was colourful, all greens and blues. Oh, how she wished Krypton had been like this, or that people could have seen what damage they were causing.

She heard two hums of superflight, distracting her. It should only be one, if Kara-

"Astra!" Came the quiet gasp, causing her to turn, eyes wide as she faced Sirius, looking as he did the last day she saw him. "Astra…" his voice quiets, and for once in her life, Astra ignores her questioning niece, stepping forward and taking Sirius' face in her hands, kissing him as if her life depended on it.

And Astra wouldn't mind if it did, if it meant this kiss never ended.


End file.
